Postcard from Rio

I recently returned from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the weather was as hot as the outlook for this giant country now taking a big leap onto the world stage.

You can see the anticipation everywhere along the way… from the packed business class section on my flight between Dallas-Fort Worth and Rio de Janeiro, to the number of hotel guests packing suits and carrying briefcases instead of Speedos and beach towels.

You hear it in the constant chatter (and worry) about the FIFA World Cup coming in 2014, and the Summer Olympic Games coming in 2016.

You feel it in your wallet, too. Brazil is one of a handful of countries that seems to have mostly missed the late great global recession. A stronger economy and currency means that Rio is no longer the bargain it once was for American travelers. (1 USD = 1.7 BRL)

Will you be headed there soon? Then take a spin through the following picture postcards and notes from my recent journey.

American Airlines business class seats on its DFW-GIG Boeing 767 (photo: Chris McGinnis)

As the U.S. airline with more flights to Brazil than any other, American Airlines recently strengthened that position by adding new nonstops to Rio from Dallas and New York. There are no nonstops from SFO to Brazil, but with the introduction of American’s Dallas nonstop, the trip duration from the Bay Area via DFW is now about 14 hours each way. (Other one-stop options from SFO include United/Continental via Houston, or LAN via Lima, Peru.) Round trip fares from SFO vary greatly by season, from around $800 to $1200 in coach or from $3000 to $6000 in business class.

A nice smoked salmon starter was followed by steak topped with Boursin cheese and a hot fudge sundae for dessert.

The food served in American’s business class is some of the best (and most plentiful) I’ve had on a U.S. carrier. Also, complimentary Bose noise canceling headsets make for a quiet overnight flight, even if the seats are “angled lie-flat,” not full lie-flat.

Take a break from your meetings (or from the beach) and ride on the cable car to the top of Pao de Acucar or Sugarloaf.

Rio’s two main landmarks, the huge rock formation called Pao de Acucar and a huge mountaintop statue of Christ called Corcovado can be seen from nearly everywhere in the city. Both are accessible by car, foot and cable car and make fine perches to peer out over the urban sprawl.

Our hosts put us up in the JW Marriott on Copacabana beach for two nights. It’s one of the newer, more modern and sophisticated hotels among a sea of aging grand dames in the area. It’s got all the touches you’d expect at a JW Marriott– Wi-Fi ($21/day), deluxe breakfast buffet, concierge club level (with dramatic beach views), and a popular sushi restaurant. Due to its location in the middle of a block, few rooms look out onto the beach. My room looked into a large atrium area, which was disappointing, but it provided protection from the cacophony on the street that lasts until the wee hours, especially on weekends. (Rates: $550+/night)

During northern winter, when it’s summer in the southern hemisphere, Rio is six hours east of California, which means a day or so of adjustment due to jet lag. I captured this shot as the sun set over Ipanema Beach at about 8 p.m.– at the end of a day when the thermometer hit 105 sweaty degrees.

Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse checked out of the super-hip Hotel Santa Teresa the day before we took a spin through the property and had lunch at its au courant Tereze Restaurant. Rumor has it that when presented with the eclectic menu that includes the freshest local ingredients, Ms. Winehouse asked for pizza instead.(Hotel rates: $550+/night)

The beach view from the 13th floor of the Best Western Sol Ipanema Hotel using the “miniturize” function on my new Canon camera. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

At the Best Western Sol Ipanema Hotel, I got the beach view I’d been dreaming about during the rainy, cold weeks here in San Francisco immediately preceding the trip. Despite its beachy location, this hotel appeared to be a hit with business travelers interested in working in some beach time between appointments. (Rates: approx. $300/night)

For nightlife, take a cab from your hotel to Lapa, a ramshackle neighborhood on the edge of the central business district, where the the sounds of samba spill onto the streets and are enjoyed by young and old, native and foreigner. (See video above for a quick clip of the action at Scenarium, one of Rio’s hottest samba clubs.)

American’s enormous new Admirals Club at DFW (photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you fly in American’s business class and lay over at DFW, as we did, you have access to its huge state-of-the-art Admirals Club on concourse D, from which most international flights depart. The lounge includes seating for hundreds, plus a convenient business center area with about 30 cubes for working or phone calls, and sweeping tarmac views. Wi-Fi access, a full bar and light snacks. There are private shower rooms for freshening up after long overnight flights. And thankfully, there’s a soundproof kiddie playroom.

Word of warning: Brazil requires American citizens to obtain a visa to travel there. The cost is a hefty $140 (the same amount Brazilians pay for a U.S. visa and thus called a “reciprocity fee”), and the process can be frustrating and plagued with bureaucratic delays. Check out how this spoiled a trip for my colleague David Armstrong.

(Disclosure: For a portion of this trip, I was a guest of the Rio de Janeiro Convention & Visitors Bureau. I also write a blog for Best Western.)